Tattoo
by wolfmusic218
Summary: Tattoos are just ink on skin. The emotions beneath them can sometimes go much deeper.


**Title:** Tattoo

 **Author:** wolfmusic218

 **Summary:** Tattoos are just ink on skin. Sometimes the emotions beneath them go much deeper.

 **Author's Notes:** For Chellero for putting up with my constant rewriting, less-than-stellar writing self-esteem, and fic teasing. You're a saint.

And to PiscesChikk for making me grin like the cheesiest fool in the middle of Starbuck's today. Your words made my day.

And to Jim Caviezel for playing Carroll Oerstadt in Deja Vu. A picture of him with all the tattoos was the inspiration for this story, believe it or not.

* * *

It wasn't exactly where he expected to find her on a Wednesday afternoon.

When he'd asked Finch to ping her phone, his only response to her location had been raised eyebrows and a quiet, "She's _where_?" .

Finch had shrugged, seemingly unperturbed. "She's probably working with an informant."

Reese wasn't too sure about that.

And he really shouldn't have been surprised by this turn of events. Since her shooting and recovery, she'd been different. A little more open, more apt to smile at little things. She seemed lighter. Not reckless...just more...adventurous. She'd even called him a couple times, without warning, "to check on him" and they'd ended up talking for over an hour each time. And it wasn't always about their work. Talk about work had easily been replaced by more personal things. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but he liked the possibilities. He liked them a lot.

So he stood against the building across the street, watching as she wandered around the shop looking at the art and talking to the owner. He'd give her a few minutes before he made himself known. Although it might happen sooner if the other guy in the shop didn't stop staring at her ass.

Joss took in all the art, the differences of styles, the colors, but none of them worked for her. She knew just what she wanted. Just a simple date, that was it. The big question was where to put it.

David, the owner and artist, had been wonderfully patient with her. In the end, though, she'd told him what she really wanted and apologized for wasting his time with all her wandering.

"Beautiful, you can spend all day in here doing just that if you want to. But I want you to get what you want. So...tell me what the significance is. Have a seat and tell me your story."

So she did. She left out some details, but told him about the shooting and the aftermath. He was quiet through the whole thing, never interrupting, never giving her a look of pity for what she'd been through. He just listened. It was refreshing.

In the middle of telling him and trying to decide where to get it, she got _that_ feeling. The one she only got when Reese was around..

"What's wrong?" David gave her a concerned look when she let out a sigh.

She gave a huff and a quick shrug. "My self-appointed bodyguard is lurking around, I think."

He leaned in a little. "Tall, white guy? Dark hair? Wearing a trench coat?"

Joss chuckled. "Yep, that would be him. How'd you know?"

He puffed out his chest a little. "Former military, too. I know the signs. He's been around since a little after you got here. Stood outside trying to look discreet. Guy like that? Not gonna happen around here."

She chuckled and shifted to look outside, hoping to catch him in the act.

"He's not there any more. Left a couple minutes ago."

"Oh, trust me, he's still out there somewhere. He'll show up when I least expect it."

David stood and turned, preparing his equipment for their session. "Sounds like he's more of a stalker." He turned back just as she covered her smile with her hand and he knew it was deeper, and less dangerous, than that. They just weren't there yet. "You sure you just want this thing in black?"

She nodded at his question. "He's not a stalker." She laughed again, shaking her head. "Well, not really. I've known him a couple years. He just feels like it's his responsibility to keep an eye on me. Keep me safe."

He sat on the stool next to her, smiling. "Ask me, it sounds like you kind of like it." He held up the gun. "So, did you decide where you want me to work my magic?"

Joss blushed and pointed.

Trying to make her a little more comfortable, he waggled his eyebrows at her. "Nice spot."

Thirty minutes, and a lot of cringing and breath holding, later, David walked her to the door. "Just keep it covered for an hour or two and then keep it clean. Put some A+D on it for a couple of days after you wash it. It should heal up nicely. And I'll see you for your next one."

Joss gave him a laugh and brushed her hand over the sore spot. "Thanks, David. Pretty sure this'll be my only one." She winced as she headed out.

David leaned out the door, a sly smile gracing his face. "They all say that, gorgeous. Oh hey, did I happen to mention that your stalker friend was here a few days ago?" He gave her a wink and laughed at her shocked expression as he closed the door.

* * *

As soon as she walked in her door a couple hours later, Joss got that feeling again. He was here. She shook her head as she put her purse and keys on the table and went in search of him.

She found him in the living room standing at the window. He had to have seen her come up the walk, knew she was home, and yet he hadn't made a move to meet her. That meant one thing: he was brooding. He'd changed his clothes, she noted. Instead of his usual uniform, he was in faded jeans and a dark button down shirt. He looked good. But that didn't mean much because even if he looked good, he was in a mood.

And a Reese in a mood was a handful.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "You know, I _could_ just give you a key, save us both some trouble."

Reese let the curtain fall back against the glass and turned at her voice. "Where would the fun be in that?"

His voice was low, his eyes hooded. The evening sun gave the room an orange and red glow and cast shadows over his face. He didn't move towards her, just kept his arms at his sides, his hands pressed against his thighs. There was a nervous energy surrounding him that he was trying to control.

Something was definitely up and it was personal. But she was sure they wouldn't get to the meat of the issue right away. She knew he'd seen where she'd been and his curiosity was piqued. Because of David, hers was, too. But a _curious_ Reese was almost as bad as a brooding Reese, never stopping until he got his answers. And lucky her, she had both in her house tonight.

This could also be fun. They'd been dancing around the building tension for months. She'd hoped the phone calls would help, that they would bridge some of the distance between them, and they had _sort_ of, but he still kept her at arm's length. Maybe she hadn't given him the sign he needed. Maybe this was her chance.

"So, what are you doing here?"

* * *

He'd been waiting for over an hour in her living room. It was getting late. He figured she'd just come straight home, but as usual, when he made an assumption where she was concerned, it didn't pan out. He shouldn't be surprised by this either.

He'd looked over the pictures he'd seen a dozen times already. Pictures of her and Taylor at different stages; they always made him smile and feel a little out of sync. It wasn't a world he was familiar with. But it was one he'd always longed for. A home and a family. He knew it wasn't something he was destined for, but the feeling he got when he was here, in her home, was the closest he knew he'd probably ever get. The last thing he wanted to do was lose it.

But he couldn't shake the need to know about her tattoo. It was ridiculous; it was just a tattoo.

He rubbed his hand over his chest.

When he'd seen her in the shop, he'd instinctively known why she was there. It wasn't work related; it was the same reason he'd been there. He didn't know how he knew that, he just did.

He was just glad she didn't know about _his_ trip. His reason for that spur of the moment decision, that _painful_ spur of the moment decision, was something he wasn't sure they were ready for. At this rate, though, unless one of them decided to step out of their comfort zone, they'd be stuck in this weird limbo they were in.

Hearing her keys in the door, Reese put a hand over his stomach and took a deep breath. A feeling he hadn't had in so long took him completely by surprise: anticipation.

He waited for her to find him.

* * *

"Where is it?"

Joss shook her head. The man really needed to learn some manners. "Thanks for asking, John, I _did_ have a nice day off."

She turned towards the kitchen, her heart beating a staccato rhythm in her chest when she heard his footsteps behind her.

He stood in the doorway, the same predatory look on his face. This was ridiculous. Who did he think he was?

"You want some coffee? I have a feeling we'll be here a while since I have no idea what you're talking about. Where is what?"

"You were at David's today. I know you weren't there for police business, Joss."

Joss took a deep breath and turned around, her patience sorely tested, her voice on the verge of cracking with anger.. "We talked about this, John. We _talked_ about boundaries and not acting like I need a bodyguard all the time. My personal time is mine. OK?." She reached up and shut the cabinet door a little too hard. "I don't know why you'd even care why I was there. I don't know why you feel like you have to keep watch over me."

Reese held his breath through her venting. Part of him wanted to run. Part of him understood her tempered anger. It wasn't just anger - it was fear. He had the same fear. Fear of what was happening between them, especially since her shooting. Fear of how it would work, _if_ it would work. And if he was being honest, he understood why she got annoyed with his near-stalking tendencies.

"Joss..." He stepped forward, close enough that she had to put her hand up to stop his momentum and it landed on his chest, over his heart.

She watched as he grimaced almost imperceptibly. Her face changed at that moment, a small smirk teasing her lips, her anger dissipating. Her fingers tightened on his shirt. "Uh huh...that's what I thought."

He took a step back. "What?"

Giving him a reprieve for the moment, she turned back to the coffee, scooping out the amount she needed, but she couldn't help the smile on her face. "David said something to me as I was leaving. Something about my 'stalker friend' having been there a few days earlier. Should I assume you weren't there for business either?"

Joss glanced at him over her shoulder when he didn't say anything. She smiled again and gave a quick shrug. "What's the big deal, John? It's just a tattoo. It felt like the thing to do, to mark a moment."

She had no idea how right she was and his need to see it increased exponentially.

He crowded her against the counter, his hands resting on either side of her. "Show me."

She shook her head, swallowing hard at the excitement fluttering in her stomach. She could feel the heat of his body against her back and it sent a bolt of pure desire through her. He so rarely touched her in any way, this much all at once was almost a shock to her system. One she was willing to try to get used to.

She sucked in a breath when Reese brushed her hair off of her neck, his fingertips barely touching her skin, and leaned closer. "Show me, Joss."

Turning slowly, she savored the brush of his body and mourned the loss when he stepped back, she stared up at him and reached for the button of her pants at the same time. "Why?"

"Because I want to see it."

She almost groaned out loud when he licked his bottom lip and turned his laser focus on the movement of her hands.

His eyes darkened when she turned down the waistband of her pants, exposing the front of her hip. The gauze was still taped to the spot and Reese glanced up to get permission. She only nodded.

Peeling away the tape gently, Reese brushed his thumb over the fine, black script. An involuntary shudder ran through her.

"Eleven, Nineteen, Thirteen. The date you were shot. Why, Joss? Why would you want to remember that date?"

"It's the date I realized that life is short, John. That it can be taken from us in an instant and if we don't live it to the fullest, we're wasting what we've been given."

Reese only nodded as he stared at the tattoo. His thumb still traced the lines of ink while his other fingers slid along the skin at her hip. Thinking about what he'd almost lost...

"Now you."

His head came up quickly in surprise, interrupting his darkening thoughts. "What?"

She stilled the hand at her hip. "Tit for tat, John Reese. I know you got one. And since we're sharing..."

He shook his head, swallowing so hard his voice came out in a croak. "I can't."

Joss brought her hands up to the buttons of his shirt. "Then let me. It's only fair."

He didn't try to stop her. He wouldn't have been able to even if he'd wanted to. "How did you know..."

She "tsk'd" at him. "I'm a detective. And you flinched when I touched you."

He watched her eyes as she unbuttoned his shirt slowly. Opening it and exposing his chest, her brows furrowed as his own tattoo was revealed.

In a bolder, smaller, type so unlike hers, he'd had tattoo'd: 11-20-13

He sucked in a breath when she traced her fingers over his own ink just over his heart. She looked up at him, the question in her eyes. "John..."

He looked away for a moment until he felt her fingers on his chin, turning him back to her.

"Tell me. Please. I'm not sure I understand."

He looked into her eyes until he knew without a doubt if he didn't take the chance now, it would be the only one he'd get...

Reese licked his lip, sucked in a deep breath, and rested his forehead against hers. "It was the day we knew you would live after your shooting. And the day I knew I would, too."

Her gasp filled the room with tension. He didn't miss her eyes filling with tears.

She stopped breathing all together when his hands came up and cupped her jaw. She could feel them shaking when she reached up to grip his wrist.

A moment flashed between them. A moment that neither had been able to get out of their minds for months. The "what if" taunted them.

"This has been a long time coming." He felt her tighten her grip on his wrist and he leaned back slightly to gauge her. The tiniest of smiles on her face was just the confirmation he needed.

Joss met him halfway as his head dipped to kiss her. The first touch was a sweet brush of their lips, a taste, but that wasn't enough for either of them. Not this time.

She grasped his open shirt and pulled him against her. "Let's try that again." She threw her arms around his neck as Reese gripped her waist, lifting her to the counter, and stepping between her legs. Without thinking twice about it, Joss hooked her ankles around the back of his thighs and pulled him closer.

Reese wrapped a hand around her lower back and pulled her to the edge of the counter, his other tilting her head so he could look at her, memorize the moment.

"A long damn time..." just before his mouth angled over hers with a hint of desperation that she felt to her toes.

She could have stayed here like this forever. His mouth teasing and nipping at her lips. It was how she imagined it would be. Tender, but with that hint of danger. She wanted to taste the danger. She wanted to feel the power and the passion that she knew he was trying to control.

They weren't nearly as gentle the second time. Lips and teeth clashed and bit and left marks. Joss pulled his shirt from his pants, pushing it off his shoulders to let it hit the floor, and spread her hands over his back, drawing her nails down to his waist, pulling a quick gasp from him and making her smile. His skin was soft and warm and she couldn't seem to touch him enough. Sliding her hands back up the front, she dragged her nails over his pecs, through the smattering of hair. He hissed, but didn't stop, when her nails bit into his biceps to pull him closer. She needed him closer.

Reese took a hold of her hips, pulling her as close as he could get her, never letting go of her mouth. He'd imagined this so many times, but it had never come close to what he was experiencing right now. She was aggressive and giving and sensual and far from a passive participant. She was in this as far as he was and he couldn't get enough of her.

But he also hadn't expected things to escalate as quickly as they had and if they didn't take a step back he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to.

He felt the tug on his belt loops as he moved back to catch his breath. He looked up to see her hair mussed, her eyes sleepy, and a feral grin on her face. She pulled him even closer; he felt her heat through his jeans, jeans that were getting entirely too tight.

"Oh, no you don't. Now's not the time to start thinking...we'll have plenty of time after we get this out of our system."

"Will we? I'm not too sure about that. I couldn't get you out of my system even if I wanted to."

Joss cocked her head to stare at him and to let what he'd just said sink in. "Guess we're about to find out, aren't we? Now, stop thinking and worrying so much, please." For emphasis, she leaned forward and pressed an open-mouthed kiss over his tattoo. " _Please."_

In one quick motion, Reese pulled her off the counter and into his arms. "Done." He took her mouth hard and fast, letting go of some of the control he'd been keeping close.

He turned with her wrapped around him, his hands under her rear, and started walking. They didn't get very far before he had to press her against the nearest wall. His mouth traced down her neck, one hand came up to palm her breast, the other tightening its grip on her ass. Which she seemed to like if that moan was any indication. He filed it away for later use.

She gasped out as he used his hips to help hold her up. She could feel every hard inch of him. She needed to move him along. "The bedroom's..."

"I know where the bedroom is." He let out a strangled chuckle at the look on her face. And the hand sliding down his chest to the buckle of his belt. "Mapped this place ages ago, Joss. For your safety."

"Uh huh. My safety. Right. Why aren't we there yet?"

He kissed her quickly, pushing away from the wall, and turned in the direction of her bedroom. Her mouth continuing to do devilish thing to his neck and throat. She was going to be the death of him.

Somewhere behind them, he heard her sneakers hit the floor and he let himself grin against her mouth.

At the doorway, Reese stopped. "Last chance..."

She shook her head. "Shut. Up. And if you're not naked in about 3 seconds..."

He kissed her nose. "You're pushy."

"And you talk too much."

He let out a bark of laughter as he deposited her on the bed with a bounce. "I can honestly say no one has ever accused me of that."

She scooted on her behind, to lean on the headboard. "So why start now?" She reached out a hand and he took it, leaning over to place a kiss on her knuckles.

"John Reese, are you nervous?"

The look that passed across his face sent a sliver of desire through her. He knelt on the bed. Grabbing her ankles, he pulled her legs around him until her head hit the pillow. He kept his eyes on her as he planted kisses along her body as he moved over her. He made sure to note where she giggled and where she sucked in a quick breath. He filed those away for later, too.

Perched on his knees and his hands, his face inches from hers, he fairly growled at her with a grin, "If anyone should be nervous, Joss, it's you."

"Oh, really?" Her eyebrows rose and her stomach, and other places, clenched.

"Really. I've made a career out of studying you. I had to, to know my adversary. But then, surprisingly, you weren't one anymore. You were far, far more than that. So it became a study...because I wanted to _know_ you. I wanted you." He lifted her foot, slipping her sock off and kissing the inside of her ankle.

"That doesn't sound stalkerish at _all."_

He glared at her with humor as he pulled off her other sock and tickled her toes. "Hey, I fought it a long time."

He pulled her tighter against him and murmured things against her mouth, against her skin, things she couldn't understand . They sounded like white noise as his hands caressed her calves and worked upwards. She should be paying attention, but she couldn't pull her eyes from him. His voice, his gaze, his hands...they were hypnotic. She barely noticed when those hands reached for the button her pants. Or when they tugged them off, leaving her in her underwear and shirt.

When he kissed and nipped up the inside of her leg, his hands leading the way with gentle touches, she broke out of her state and reached for his belt and unsnapped his jeans. "Then I better make sure this is memorable, huh?"

Reese let out a hiss and buried his face in her neck, his hips giving an involuntary thrust, when she reached in and gave him a long, slow stroke. "Jesus...

Her other smoothed hand over his arched back, dipping down and slipping over his still jean-covered ass. "I'm going to need you to take these off. Now."

He didn't need to be told twice.

Reese slid off the bed and stood, toeing off his shoes and pulling his pants off, letting them pool at his feet. Before he realized what was happening, Joss had gotten to her knees on the bed in front of him. She sat back on her calves as she stroked his thighs and pulled him a little closer.

"You thought about this for a long time? So did I. Now I get to see what's under those suits." She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his stomach, and hooked her thumbs in his boxers, tugging them down. She didn't give him a second to react before she took him in her mouth, her hand wrapping around him, guiding and sliding to the root and back.

He couldn't help the gasp that escaped him, nor the way his fingers slid into her hair. "Joss..."

He looked down to see her watching him watch her. She let him go with a quick pop and, with her eyes still on him, she licked the length of him before taking him deep.

He gave in to it for about ten seconds before he growled deep in his throat, lifting her under her arms and tossing her gently onto her back.

Not waiting for him, she stripped her shirt off and slowed down as she pulled the straps of her bra down. Again, watching him. Her eyes traveled his tightly coiled body, licking her lips when she got to his cock.

And then she swallowed hard as he took himself into his hand, stroking slowly. Two obviously could play this game. "Take the rest off."

She didn't have to be told twice.

Reese didn't waste any time. He didn't have the patience to waste any. She'd taken what little he'd had to begin with. Skipping over the slow foreplay he'd had planned, Reese crawled up the bed and settled between her legs, sliding two fingers slowly between them, teasing and testing her. And then his tongue joined in the mix. His fingers slid into her, curling, as his mouth reached her clit, giving it a quick flick with his tongue before his lips wrapped around it.

Sucking, licking, swirling a damn figure eight...

She was going to crawl out of her own skin. She could barely breathe. She wanted more.

"John...please." She tugged at his hair, scraped over his shoulders with her nails, leaving thin red lines on his skin.

He doubled his efforts, his free hand reaching up to take her tight nipple between his fingers, giving it a rough pinch. She gasped and let out a moan that sounded suspiciously like a curse and his name.

His thumb traced over her clit, joining his tongue, and finally her back arched with her silent scream of release. He held on as she bucked, letting go as the aftershocks slowed and she was able to catch her breath.

Reese continued swirling his fingers gently, kissing the inside of her thighs, taking a quick lick...teasing her, but never tormenting. Keeping her on the edge, but only slightly.

Finally, she ran her fingers through his hair, tugging on his ear. "Get up here."

He looked up at her, at her sleepy, sated eyes, and the urgency to get his own release left him. Oh, he'd get it, but he would take his time. They would. Knowing what he knew now, how she tasted, how she reacted to his touch, Reese knew they'd be here again, probably soon. The chance to get her out of his system, even if he'd wanted to, was gone now. Words from months ago came back to him. She _was_ stuck with him.

Reese kissed his way up her body, making a slight detour to her right hip. He rested his cheek against it and rubbed his thumb over the ink, pressing a soft kiss to her heated skin.

Joss look down her body at the man she had her legs wrapped around. At those impossibly beautiful eyes. That imperfect nose. That mouth...lord, that mouth. The one that presently held a smirk he was trying to hide. He'd taught her what he could do with that mouth. And something told her she hadn't seen all of his tricks. She wanted to learn _all_ of his secrets.

The ones in bed...and out. She was in deep.

He was a trained killer. A vigilante. A dead man.

And she'd die for him. Or kill for him.

Because no matter what he believed, she knew, and had experienced, the good man in him. The one who believed everyone deserved a second chance. The one who would put his own life on the line for someone he'd never met without a second thought. The one who got a tattoo for her; one he never thought she'd see.

The one that desperately wanted a normal life, but would never admit that he deserved it.

One day, she'd make him believe that he did.

Joss cupped his jaw and drew him to her, covering his lips with her own. This kiss lacked the desperation of the first. This one felt like a beginning, like something precious. And while she wanted it to go on, she knew there were other things that needed to be attended to. One of them was nudging at her thigh.

Feeling the change, Reese pulled back to read her eyes.

She brushed her fingers over his lips and smiled at him warmly. "Later."

He nodded and then let out a hiss when she reached down to stroke him again.

Reese slid his arms under her, his hands splayed out over her back. "You're trying to kill me, aren't you?" He bit down on her neck, soothing it with a quick swipe of his tongue.

She moaned and tilted her head to give him better access. "Not tonight...too many plans...for you."

He gave a little groan of agreement and thrust into her hand. He couldn't help himself. He needed to be inside her.

He shifted just slightly, aligning their bodies.

Joss hooked her ankle over the back of his thigh. "Yes..."

With that one whispered word, Reese slid into her heat. He didn't move. He'd been so close just from her touch; feeling her surrounding him was almost enough to push him over the edge. He breathed in through his nose, out through his mouth. Counted to ten. He needed, more than anything, to bring her over that edge with him.

Joss wrapped her arms around his back, loving the feel of his weight on her. He started a slow thrust, his back arching with each one. Lifting his head so he could look at her, kiss her, bury his face in her neck, she noted the furrow in his brow, the look of determination.

Obviously not content with how it was going, Reese rolled them over, making her squeal in surprise. He gripped her hips once she was settled on top of him and grinned up at her. "Now _this_ works." She slapped her hands on his chest when he brought his knees up.

He tried, he did, to keep the satisfied grin from his face, but he couldn't. He'd never seen her like this. Her hair so wild, her eyes nearly slits, a groan coming out on nearly every breath. She was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. And he wanted her to look this way often. If he had any say in it, she would.

Raising herself up, sliding back down..slowly, deliberately. Torturing him in the best possible way.

She leaned down, her breasts brushing over his chest, and kissed him deeply. Like they had a mind of their own, his hands reached for her breasts, teasing, stroking, and bringing one, then the other to his mouth.

Her breath caught and her rhythm faltered. The man had a fantastic mouth. And that mouth was doing delicious things to her, but she needed him wild. She needed him so far gone, he was blind with it.

Pushing up higher, she came down hard on him, tightening her muscles around him as she slid back up. And down. He grunted out his approval with each one.

Joss sat up, leaning back on his thighs, and caught his eyes. Bringing two fingers to her mouth, she sucked them slowly, knowing she was teasing him.

His own rhythm stuttered as he watched her reach down between her legs, her other hand sliding up her stomach up to her breast.

"Jesus, Joss..."

He couldn't take it; he sat up, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her hard.

She laughed a laugh full of joy and threw her arms around his neck when he finally let go of her mouth.

His heart nearly beat out of his chest at the sound.

He pistoned up into her and she rode him like they'd been built for each other. His fingers gripped her back, slid down to her ass, and pulled at her with no sense of rhythm at all. He alternated between her breasts and her mouth with his kisses, but his only thought was release. For both of them.

He reached down between them and rubbed his thumb quickly over her clit, making her tighten her grip on him and let out a low moan.

The sensation hit him so hard and fast, he let out a nearpainful moan and his eyes snapped shut. It was almost painful how hard he came. He pulled her tight and buried his face in her neck. One more swipe of his thumb had her tumbling over the edge right after him.

Reese collapsed back on the bed, pulling Joss with him. His breath heaving, blowing her hair as she laid her cheek on his chest. She sprawled out over him, her arms still around him and her legs on either side of his. Her own breath coming out in pants, her body still twitching with aftershocks, she could still feel him inside her. She couldn't help herself, she tightened around him, causing him to groan...in pain or pleasure, it was hard to tell.

After a little while, Reese shifted and slid out of her. Joss hissed at the loss, but settled next to him, his arm still holding her close. He turned his head and kissed her temple, lingering, as his fingers drew up and down her arm.

Reese let out a sigh. "I think you broke me." He could feel her trying to hold in her laughter and he smiled. "I mean it. I can't move."

She nearly cried with his words. The banter they were so good at relieving any worry about things being awkward.

Joss reached down and pulled up the comforter. "Sleep, then."

He looked down at her, surprised.. "You're letting me stay?"

She rested her chin on his chest. "I can't exactly throw a broken man out on the street now, can I? Besides..." she pushed up and kissed him slowly, thoroughly. "I don't think I got you out of my system yet. We're going to have to try it again."

One side of his mouth twitched. "Whatever you say, Joss." He snuggled closer and closed his eyes. "Whatever you say."

 **END**


End file.
